We spent several years as friends, summiting peaks together across Washington. Shannon always felt so comfortable with Sam and hoped he'd come along for adventures.

On our trip to Red Rocks that November, Sam reached over to hold Shannons hand driving through Vegas. Shannon remembers a sense of ease and thinking "things are about to change" ...she was right ;)

A handful of dates in, Shannon invited Sam to hang with her close friends and family for dinner. Quotes from the evening included "is he your boyfriend yet?"

We lovingly refer to this moment as our "dump date" and reflect on it as a pivotal moment in our relationship; one of those moments where you realize that you can do life with this person, and that the in-between moments are what matter. Over a year later when brainstorming ideas for a proposal, Sam considered popping the question at the dump, Michael (his brother) recommended he reconsider...

Throughout spring, our relationship began to feel more and more grounded in our family, friends and daily lives. Throughout our relationship, we've often walked into Sams brothers house unannounced and lost track of time playing with baby Tilly. We love being an aunt and uncle! For Shannon, entering a family where she gets a brother and sister in law has been such an unexpected gift and a highlight of our time together.

Our relationship has been filled with many adventures over the years, and among our favorites was a bike trip across South Korea. Shannon enjoyed seeing Sam's biking world, and Sam enjoyed carrying most of the weight ;)

Sam decided against an engagement at the dump, and instead opted for a mountain lake. Sam got down on one knee, and Shannon said yes before he could finish asking the question. While she loves their dump date, she was glad the proposal didn't smell. We can't wait to celebrate with you all!